LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
It was a hot May night in 2010 that changed the lives of the Wilds family forever.
Her eyes welled with tears and her voice shook, as Master Sgt. Chelesa Wilds, 1st Maintenance Operations Squadron NCO in charge of Instructional Systems Development, recounted the events that led doctors to diagnose her 3-year-old daughter, Kamdyn, with Type 1 diabetes.
"I was just letting her be a kid," she began with tight lips and heavy eyes. "We had been out all day, so fast food was just easiest. Had I known what would happen - " But before she finished her thought, she quickly composed herself to recount that horrific night.
At 11 p.m., the vomiting began, so Sergeant Wilds reached for electrolytes and juices to quench her daughter's thirst.
"I was fueling the fire as she complained of thirst every 20 minutes," Sergeant Wilds explained. "The juices were filled with carbs, and too many carbs raises the blood sugar, causing her to vomit. It was her body's way of flushing it out her system."
The following morning, Sergeant Wilds began tracking her daughter's liquid consumption to eliminate the possibility of an underlying condition. In a 12-hour period, Kamdyn consumed 81 ounces of fluid, took a four-hour nap, and went to the bathroom 13 times.
"I have family members with diabetes, so I knew the symptoms to look for," Sergeant Wilds said. "In addition to the constant drinking and peeing, her language and fine motor skills showed delays when compared to her peers. Plus, my maternal instinct was telling me something's not right."
Two days later, Kamdyn's pediatrician diagnosed her with Type 1 diabetes, a condition in which the body is unable to produce enough insulin to break down sugars and starches; therefore, blood sugar levels rise to dangerous levels and cause patients to vomit uncontrollably, as in Kamdyn's case. Treatment for Type 1 diabetes includes daily insulin shots, or pumps, to stabilize blood sugar levels and a constant monitoring of food intake.
"I'm now an expert label reader," Sergeant Wilds said chuckling with a half smile. "I know that 44 goldfish equals 15 carbs and a cup of milk has 13."
Nearly a year since her diagnosis, Kamdyn is showing steady improvement in her language and cognitive development; however, she battles diabetes daily. Sergeant Wilds' best defenses for her daughter are a strict shot schedule and diet.
Each morning, Kamydn receives a 24-hour insulin shot to maintain blood sugar levels in between meals and overnight. After meals, she also receives a rapid-acting insulin shot to counter the rise in levels when consuming carbs.
A drop in levels can be more dangerous for children than a rise in levels. It is also harder for parents to detect, as symptoms mirror that of a cranky or tired child. Parents may not know if the child is in danger or just acting their age, Sergeant Wilds explained.
"If Kamdyn is acting up, my first instinct is to test her blood. If her blood levels are normal then I can tell her, 'OK, get your butt in the corner. You don't have an excuse now,'" Sergeant Wilds laughed.
While Sergeant Wilds is able to laugh at such moments, finding a babysitter who can maintain the strict shot schedule and diet is a constant challenge.
"There are things that untrained caregivers could do that could kill her," Sergeant Wilds stressed. "If they give her the wrong food, wrong dose or miss a dose of insulin, it could mean hospitalization. Caregivers trained to treat a diabetic child are scarce and many daycare centers refuse to administer medications."
Of all the challenges of living with a diabetic child, flu season poses the largest threat. Diabetic children struggle to maintain immunity from germs, despite receiving the same annual immunizations as their peers. When illness strikes, fluid and food intake becomes lifelines.
"Sick season is the most difficult for us," Sergeant Wilds said without hesitation. "A normal child may get the flu and not want to eat or drink, but that's OK. If a diabetic child stops eating or drinking, the parent has to fight the medicine in their (child's) system."
Fighting the medicine requires frequent night wakings to force sips of juice. If Kamdyn were to refuse liquids, it may require a visit to the emergency room to administer IV fluids or a "sugar drip" to stabilize her blood sugar levels, Sergeant Wilds said.
"Everything has changed," Sergeant Wilds said somberly. "I don't want to say she won't be a normal kid because she is (normal). Life's just going to be more of a challenge."
Sergeant Wilds encourages parents to look for the symptoms, get treatment early on and find others who are facing similar issues. For those with diabetic children looking to form a support group, contact Sergeant Wilds at (757) 225-9824.